Christmas Dawn
by Max Adler
Summary: AU of Amends (Dawn is there)


Buffy, AU of Amends

Dawn enters the room and sees Xander she's walking towards him when she hears their plans for Christmas and Cordelia saying

"I thought you slept outside to avoid your family's drunken Christmas fights."

Dawn slowly backs away unnoticed by the rest of the Scoobies.

A few periods later Dawn sees Xander outside the gym and goes to him shyly getting a grin in response.

"H-hi Xander."

"Hey Dawnatello, looking for Buffy? She's hiding from the horrors of higher learning by going to the Library." After a pause he thinks that last sentence over and frowns. "That came out sounding totally retarded, which if you listen to Cordelia is my natural brain level so…I'm gonna shut up now" Shrugs and looks at her questioningly.

Dawn blinks and collects her thoughts.

"Uh, no actually I was looking for you."

Xander is clearly surprised by that.

"Why me? I mean Willow is the uber brainy one, and Buffy is your sis, Oz does that whole quiet yet cool thing, plus is uber smart even though he got held back, and Cordy would give you fashion tips, of course she'd do it while verbally reducing you to tears but she's got taste.

Dawn notes the bitterness and frowns but before she gets to respond Snyder grabs her shoulder and barks at her.

"You shouldn't be here! This is a High School not a nursery, or perhaps you would like to emulate your sister and burn this one down?"

Xander is clearly incensed by this and grabs Snyder and drags him into the locker room flashing a smile at Dawn and telling her bye as she hurries away somewhat frightened.

Snyder is yelling at Xander and we see Xander lift Snyder off his feet and hold him up nose to nose and growl something at him, his eyes glowing faintly amber. Snyder backs off and nearly runs from Xander muttering something about drugs, Xander looks around to see if anybody notices and sees Oz who merely gives a small nod and moves off, Xander looks like he wants to follow but decides not to and heads for his next class.

After school Faith is walking to the library looking just a slight bit forlorn, she opens the door to the library, and she sees Giles packing up for the vacation and putting books in a box, Xander is at the table talking and he says

"I told him if he ever yelled at Dawn again he'd become the second principal to be 'eaten by wild dogs.'" Xander grins and Giles nods and gives a slight hint of Ripper showing through saying "Quite right, the little toad deserved that and more." Xander looks mock shocked, and replies

"Why G-man, if I didn't know better I'd accuse you of corrupting me."

"Xander, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me G-man."

Faith has heard the whole story (slayer hearing, gotta love it;-) and interjects.

"G-man, X, big thing going on? Whats with the books in a box thing?"

Giles groans and Xander grins but shakes his head "no, sorry, that was my hope too but our funky party man is just making sure nobody releases some evil boogey boo over the vacation by getting these books." Faith looks a little disappointed but offers to help Giles who shakes his head.

"No, I might be old but I assure you I am hardly…ooof!…decrepit." He lifts the box with a little trouble, Xander moves to help but knocks a pile of books over and bends under the table to get them, Faith smoothly takes the box from Giles and smirks at the men, Giles looks like he wants to scowl but is too british to do so and settles for heading toward the library and calling back "I'm going to unlock the car, Faith please bring the box to the trunk, Xander…don't break anything." Faith smirks at him and waits for Xander to crawl from under the table addressing his behind as she waits.

"So, (takes on accent of Fred from scooby doo) Shaggy where are Scooby and the girls?" Xander bumps his head in surprise and crawls out rubbing it.

"Faith watches scooby doo?" Shoots her a lopsided grin as she rolls her eyes.

"Yea yea, just don't tell anybody, they might think I'm going soft. Maybe I should call you scooby, from what I heard you got a little bit of canine in ya." Xander's face immediately darkens and he shakes his head.

"Don't tell the girls about that, ok?" Faith looks surprised, puzzled and almost hurt but covers up and shoots him a grin. "ooh, maybe you were kissing him? Seeing if he'd turn into a beautiful princess?"

"Eww and no! Look, I promise not to tell anybody about scooby doo if you don't mention what you heard in the library ok?" Faith just nods and they walk out of the library.

Cordelia is in her snowbunny outfit in a cabin surrounded with snow watching the tv and sipping hot chocolate, she hears the weatherman talking about the snow and she frowns. She is clearly going through some internal debate and mutters "even that dork couldn't be so stupid as to stay out tonight…" Finally she sighs and gets her cell phone starting to dial when her mother says

"Cordelia Chase, who are you calling at this hour?" Plucking the phone out of her hand she frowns at Cordy who starts to protest. "not that Harris boy again! I thought you were over him."

"I am but…" Cordelia gestures at the tv but the mother simply turns it off.

"Now now, you know you shouldn't do this." She kisses her and turns off the cell phone, "go to sleep dear, you've got a big day tommorrow." Cordy nods and looks unhappy but goes to her room.

Joyce has just brought Faith back into the house when Dawn bounces downstairs yelling, Its snowing its snowing! Mom, Buffy, there's snow outside! Joyce laughs while Faith grins and says

"Yea D, snow! Hey, when B gets back we'll ambush her with snowballs, want me to show you how? I learned back in Boston, (tilts her head a little) on halloween kids would use snowballs packed with rock and ice to smash windows (this is pure fiction on my part I don't know anybody who actually does this outside of a Calvin and Hobbes comic)" Joyce frowns at Faith

"You are not teaching my daughter how to be a hooligan." Faith nods and says slightly tongue in cheek.

"Yes ma'am, no hooliganism, but can I show her how to make a normal snowball?" Joyce smiles.

"Of course, just don't forget to show me too." Faith laughs as Dawn goes MOM!

"What? I can't join in the fun?"

"Ooh, I know who would love to know how to make a snowball, Xander! He'd have so much fun, hey mom can we go to his…uh nevermind." Faith and Joyce frown and Faith quickly gets Dawn outside.

"Here, lemme show you how to pack a snowball so it won't fall apart as soon as you throw it, if you use a little water or spit, it'll make it a little harder but not icey….your mom is gone now, what was all that about the X-man?" Dawn looks unhappy but responds.

"I overheard that bitch in the lounge calling out he slept outside to avoid his parents." Faiths eyes widen as she realizes he could have problems. "shit, we gotta get to his house now. She dashes back indoors calling for Joyce. Dawn runs in and after a quick talk she runs upstairs as Faith and Joyce get into the car.

Xander finally goes inside the house but quickly runs back out to avoid a broken bottle thrown his way which manages to wing his shoulder and he wraps a bandage around it before going back into his sleeping bag. As he is drifting off to sleep he hears a gasp and suddenly is slapped hard by Faith.

"Don't you dare fall asleep on us now X-man."

We see him being helped up by Joyce and Faith and then walking towards the car with Dawn waiting in the backseat.

Cordelia's mom looks in on Cordy who is curled up on the bed, she frowns and sighs and sits next to her gently stroking her hair, we see Joyce looking in the mirror and smiling as she drives home with Xander in the middle and Faith and Dawn to his sides in the backseat all three of them sleeping, Dawn under his arm and Faith tucked under his head.


End file.
